


Stronger Together

by Ambrose



Series: Dare to Write Challenge [38]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-22 01:56:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9577082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ambrose/pseuds/Ambrose
Summary: Clarke and Raven come back to the dropship, and try to deal with the pain and trauma in their own way.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RatherCharmingVermin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RatherCharmingVermin/gifts).



They hadn't gone back to the dropship in a long time. Neither of them really wanted to, but Clarke had to be here. It was a symbolic site where to sign a lasting peace treaty with the Grounders now that the battle with the Mountain Men was over, and she'd been the one to instigate it. And Raven had insisted to be there, of course. To accompany and support her, even though Clarke suspected it was more to do with honouring memories, and making herself suffer. She probably thought she deserved it, too.

 Last time Clarke had passed by the dropship, she was hoping to find some of the hundred who were left behind by the Mountain Men. She remembered her mother's message, and her fight with Anya, who'd died in her arms so shortly after. She remembered the red smoke, and the feeling in her lungs as she collapsed before waking up in the Mountain. She remembered the fight, her friends who had died, the last minute strategies and the attempts at fixing bullets. How the ship had been converted into a infirmary when they suffered from the Grounders' biological weapon. She remembered most of all the ground charred with the bones of their enemies, the dreadful smell of burnt flesh and death. 

They'd gone early, to have some time to remember their departed friends before the whole of the coalition made their entrance. The grass had slowly started to grow back, but the place still felt like a mass grave. Something here had happened that could never be undone, and they both had their hand in it. They could never see it as a normal clearing, or as the happy sign of civilization's first landing in a century, as people would no doubt twit it later. It was all destruction and gritty survival and Clarke did not regret it, she did not regret doing what she had to do to survive, but it did not help her sleep at night.

She turned towards Raven to find her looking into the distance, carefully keeping any emotion from her face. To Clarke, however, it was clear that she was clenching her jaw to the point of pain and holding back tears. She gently squeezed Raven's hand in hers.

"You don't have to stay," she said softly. "I can help you back towards camp if you want. You don't need to be here if..."

"I have to," Raven answered, stubborn. She turned towards Clarke, ever so slightly, clearly holding herself with all her strength of will so as not to crumble, both physically and mentally. Her back and leg still hurt, and it was only out of obstinacy that she was standing upright. She would not mention it but she wasn't feeling any more comfortable inside her head than inside her body. She didn't say anything, just wrapped her arms around her, holding her close, waiting for her to speak.

"I did this," Raven finally breathed out. "I know I didn't have a choice and everyone keeps repeating that but it doesn't change a thing. It doesn't make it go away because it was them or me. I killed these people. They had lives and families waiting for them and I can't forget that. I don't want to."

Clarke nodded. "I know. We have to bear it. Or else we'd become monsters like the Mountain Men."

"I just wish they'd understand," Raven sighed.

"I do." Amongst the images that haunted her were the bodies of dozens of innocent people; allies; children; lying on the floor of a bunker. She had pushed that lever herself. She'd sacrificed hundreds of people to save hers, and she had to live with it, and wondered every so often how that made her any different from them. Her mother couldn't understand. Nor could most of her friends. Raven understood. With all they'd gone through, death, loss, pain - she was the only one who truly could understand what she was going through, and Clarke wished Raven'd allow herself to be vulnerable sometimes, so Clarke could be there for her as much as she was there for Clarke. 

"We don't have to go through this alone," Clarke whispered, rubbing soft circles on Raven's back. "We'll always have each other." 

 

When the Grounder Heda arrived, followed closely by ambassadors from all the clans, and a Skaikru delegation, to sign the treaty, they found the two girls holding on to each other as if for dear life. They pulled away at the noise, and straightened themselves, brushing the tears away from their eyes. Clarke grabbed Raven's hand again, and squeezed it, as warriors set up a table in the middle of the clearing. 

"Let's do this." 

Clarke nodded at Heda Aden as they joined the council, ready to face this and all trials to come. It hurt being there, it hurt remembering who sat in his place before, to remember which of the ambassadors had been ready to throw her, and Lexa, to the wolves. Roan nodded at her too, gruff, from his seat, and Indra's appraising look from Aden's right hand side gave her the feeling that she wasn't alone amongst enemies, they had allies, maybe even friends, amongst grounders too. 

They weren't the monsters Clarke first had thought they were, she reflected as they honoured the memory of the fallen. She knew some of them would support her more readily than her own people. A lot had changed since the battle that took place here, a lot of it having to do with Clarke's feelings and opinions on people. 

But one thing had not changed with all they had gone through: she'd still pick Raven first. 


End file.
